Projecting the finish in Section 3 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League
2024 Berks football coverage
presented by UECU
The 2024 season kicks off in just four days and competition will be fierce in Section 3, where three teams return after winning or sharing section titles a year ago.
Every team has holes to plug after graduation losses, transfers, and offseason injuries.
Here’s a breakdown of the teams in Section 3 of the Lancaster Lebanon League and how they might finish.
| Team | 2023 | Outlook | Opener | |||
| 1 | Manheim Central+ | 11-2 | It’s a re-load for the Barons, not a rebuild. Despite losing some top-shelf talent the Barons bring back 12 starters, including four O-linemen, always a good place to start. Defense features seven returning players, including a pair D1 prospects. | West Philadelphia | ||
| 2 | Garden Spot* | 9-2 | All-League DB AJ Hurst moves to QB as Spartans find out what life will be like without play-maker Kye Harting around to save them. Hurst will have loads of talent around him, with return of 10 all-league picks. | @ Notre Dame Green Pond | ||
| 3 | Conrad Weiser | 2-8 | Scouts took their lumps last season but they’re ready for some payback. They bring back a lot of firepower, including a three-year QB in Donovan Gingrich and play-maker Evan Rittle. They’re deeper and more experienced. | Abington | ||
| 4 | Cocalico^ | 12-2 | After back-to-back district titles the Eagles will take a step back this season. They need to replace 20 seniors, 13 all-league picks. Their top returning player, tackle machine Dane Bollinger, is out for the season with a knee injury. | Elizabethtown | ||
| 5 | Warwick | 3-7 | Warriors need to replace most of their key skills people; they lost more starters than any team in the section. They return nice size on the line; that’s always a good place to start. | @ Avon Grove | ||
| 6 | Fleetwood | 6-5 | Tigers saw some huge producers walk across the stage in June but there are plenty play-makers and linemen returning. Teams will overlook them, but they shouldn’t. They’ve finished with plus records twice in the last three years. | @ Kutztown | ||
| 7 | Solanco | 3-7 | Mules need to replace four all-league players from a defense that allowed nearly 35 points per game last season in Section 3 games. Also need to find a way to replace their best lineman, Gavin Cox, which won’t be easy. They’ll line heavily on RB Johnny Garcia, perhaps the section’s top RB. | Lampeter-Strasburg |
*Shared Section 3 title last year.
^Won Section 4 title last season.
